Defining Death
by Hinata-Snow the First
Summary: Miles Edgeworth holds a funeral for a "dead" man - with some unexpected help. Written for the Phoenix Wright Kink Meme. Spoilers for Turnabout Goodbyes.


**A/N: While I was digging around my old files I found this one-shot, so I decided to post it. Yes, I'm still working on Down the Twilight Path. Xelaric, Karate Kairi and I are getting close. But in the meantime, enjoy this short reflection on the fallout of Case 1-4. It's time for fem-I mean it's time for gen!**

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 **Defining Death  
**  
The last time that Miles Edgeworth saw the man known as Yanni Yogi was during the latter's trial for the murder of Robert Hammond. Edgeworth himself had been but a spectator of the trial, as a part of him needed to watch the man that had been with Edgeworth and his father in the elevator that fateful day.

Yanni showed no visible reaction to the events of the trial, and after being declared guilty he simply allowed himself to be led away.

Before the trial Edgeworth had attempted to contact the man. Yanni had suffered greatly because of Manfred von Karma, Edgeworth's former mentor. If there was to be some kind of closure, Edgeworth wanted to apologize to him face to face.

But all attempts to get in touch with him either didn't go through or were answered by the man's Uncle persona. The last time the two had talked, the day before the trial, Yanni had said something interesting.

"As much as I wanted to run the Wet Noodle, it looks like I'm going to have to retire and leave it to the kids. Ayup, things sure are changing around here. Just the other day my next door neighbor told me he was going to have leave town forever. But he told me he could at least look forward to seeing his fiancee one day."

After that Yogi was led back to his cell, and far as Edgeworth could tell Yogi never spoke another word, not even at his trial.

* * *

A day after the trial Edgeworth had received a package.

It had been postdated for today, and after making sure it wasn't dangerous Edgeworth opened the package. Inside was a pair of rings, wedding bands, and looking over them revealed that they each had an inscription on them.

One read, "To my darling Polly" and the other "To my beloved Yanni".

The package had included a note, and Edgeworth recognized the writing as Yanni's. Without hesitation he read the note.

Miles Edgeworth,

If you're reading this, then I've succeeded in killing Robert Hammond and got caught in the act. I intended to take you down as well, but that was before I realized that you weren't actually responsible for what happened to me. Forgive me for what happened in that elevator. At the thought that I would never return home to Polly, I panicked.

Yanni Yogi has been dead for years. He died in that elevator. But I thought I could stick around long enough to at least avenge my Polly's death. I did, and yet I know now that it achieved nothing. I don't even know if I'll be able to face Polly when I pass on.

As my last act as Yanni Yogi, I will give you the wedding bands that I would have used if Polly and I had gotten married. Do with them what you wish. After the trial Yanni won't care one way or another.

For the final time,

Yanni Yogi

Once he reached the end of the letter, Edgeworth realized what he could do for Yogi. In order to do so, he would need the help of someone he didn't imagine himself usually calling.

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The next night Edgeworth found himself at Gourd Lake with Wright's assistant, Maya Fey. The two were silent around each other, which was understandable: the two had no reason to talk to each other, and the few interactions they did have weren't always the best.

But if there was one other person as intimately connected to DL-6 and Yanni Yogi's plight, it was the girl who lost her mother and indirectly her sister to the incident. So Edgeworth felt it was fitting that Maya be here for what he was going to do.

Maya being who she was, she was the first to speak up.

"You know, if you wanted to eat Samurai dogs you didn't have to be so sneaky about it," she said, a mischievous smirk playing on her face.

Edgeworth wordlessly handed her the letter and the rings he had received. Maya read them, at first appearing curious but her expression becoming more and more somber. After reading the inscription on the rings visible tears formed in her eyes.

"All of use suffered because of Manfred von Karma," Edgeworth said finally, his voice shaking. "And I felt it was appropriate to honor those that have lost everything."

A bit of research revealed that before going into hiding, Yogi had used the last of his savings to arrange for a funeral for Polly Jenkins. But this particular "funeral" wasn't for her. It wasn't even for Yogi. Rather, it was one for both of them, for the life they never got to share together.

Edgeworth gestured stiffly to a pair of candles in boats. "I would like your help with this, if you don't mind."

"Huh? Oh, I would be happy to!"

The two of them each took a ring and placed it in a boat. Then, they lit the candles and placed the boats in the lake. The boats were sailboats, and their little sails caught a winter breeze and took the boats away, the light of the candles becoming dimmer as they made their way to the center of the lake.

"Mr. Yogi, Ms Jenkins," Maya said. "I may not have known you guys. But I'm sure you two would have been happy together! You two would have run the best noodle-oh wait, that was just a lie. But I'm sure Polly is anxious to meet you again, Mr. Yogi! My sister says that everything is different on the other side! So you two will have all the time in the world to do anything you want together."

"Well said. We didn't meet under the best of circumstances, but as a bailiff I heard good things about you," Edgeworth added, politely deciding to not comment on Ms Fey's belief of "the other side". "And…I forgive you. At least for what happened in that elevator."

After a few more moments of silence, Edgeworth and Maya made their way out of Gourd Lake. Edgeworth bid Maya farewell at the bus station, and once he made it back to his office he realized that a weight had disappeared off his shoulders. Even if you could never change the past, acknowledging it helped free a person from the chains of their own making.

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 **A/N: Hope this was okay, everyone. Not much time was dedicated to the actual funeral. For my Ace Attorney romances, swing by Orion Fowl! Link is on my profile. As always, comments and critiques are always appreciated. See you next time! Please review.**


End file.
